Akodo Masahisa
Akodo Masahisa was the Lion Clan Champion during the rule of Hantei XX. Family Masahisa was the second son Imperial Histories, p. 109 of the Lion Champion Akodo Akihisa, and had an adopted brother Akodo Kenburo, a former ronin. Imperial Histories, pp. 104, 110 Training While the Lion's heir was trained in the Akodo War College to lead the Clan, Masahisa was sent to the Omoidasu school. His older brother died in 656 from a fever, and he became the heir. Lion Clan Champion Masahisa became the Lion Champion after his father, Akodo Akihisa, retired to a temple as the monk Rojin. Imperial Histories, p. 121 Masahisa encouraged his adopted brother to enter in the Test of the Emerald Champion, both to win prestige for the Lion Clan and to discourage any possible rivalry between Kenburo and himself. Kenburo achieved victory becoming the Emerald Champion. Imperial Histories, p. 119 Great Famine The Great Famine suffered in the Empire forced many Dragon refugees to leave their mountains to cross the Drowned Merchant River, entering in the Lion lands. Masahisa was concerned and sent his son Akodo Masaumi to Shiro Mirumoto in 662, where he got an audience with the Dragon Clan Champion Togashi Toshimasa. The meeting went wrong when Toshimasa did not acknowledge Masaumi. Imperial Histories, p. 101 War with the Dragon Masaumi crossed the border with the Lion Clan Army and attacked, which marked the start of the Dragon-Lion War. He was confronted by the Mirumoto Army led by the Mirumoto Daimyo Mirumoto Umeka. The Battle of Drowned Merchant River was indecisive, and the conflict escalated when the Phoenix sent forth the Shiba House Guard to aid the Dragon. In the last weeks of the year a truce, and later a peaceful agreement was arranged. Imperial Histories, pp. 101-102 Seizing Food In 664 Masahisa levied a massive army of hungry ashigaru, unleashing them to the Crane lands. The Crane, weakened by the previous Rice War with the Crab could not make their stand. The Emerald Champion Akodo Kenburo met his adopted brother Masahisa and convinced him to return back with the supplies already seized. Imperial Histories, pp. 103-104 People's Legion In 665 the Dragon refugees were again an issue, so the Lion crossed the border to clear it out. Small bodies of Lion troops were unexpectedly confronted and defeated by an army of revolters and peasants, the called People's Legion. The Lion were forced to withdraw all the troops from the Dragon lands and began to defend the former lands of the Ki-Rin Clan when the Legion invaded the northwest of Rokugan. His only son Masaumi committed seppuku after his army was defeated by the revolters at Bikami. Masahisa's own father, Rojin, had joined the revolutionaries. Imperial Histories, p. 104 Death An outraged Masahisa led another Lion army, inflicting a heavy toll to the Legion. Its leader, the woman Asahime, managed to lure Masahisa into a trap where she killed him. The Lion Army was slaughtered to a man. Imperial Histories, pp. 104-105 Successor Kenburo was offered the championship, but refused to give up the Emerald Champion's office. Matsu Ikuko was chosen as new Lion Champion until Masahisa's closest cousin could come of age. Imperial Histories, p. 105 Category:Lion Clan Leaders